"I'm still digesting (it). I'm still feeling it. I haven't gone there yet," Scheyer said during an interview with Westwood One's Josh Graham in Indianapolis on Thursday, April 2.
In a follow-up question on whether he had watched the film, the Blue Devils coach gave a blunt "No" response.
“I haven’t gone there yet.”
Duke coach Jon Scheyer says he hasn’t rewatched the final sequence of the UConn loss yet.
The Blue Devils' loss to the Huskies marked the second straight year that Scheyer's program collapsed at the end after holding a lead of at least 14 points at one point of the game. Last year in the Final Four vs. Houston, Duke held a seven-point lead with 1:26 to play and then six-point lead at the 42-second mark, but saw those leads melt away with the Cougars outscoring the Blue Devils 15-3 in the final two-plus minutes to win 70-67.
This year, it was a 19-point lead that the Blue Devils lost against the Huskies. Duke has not won a national championship in four seasons under Scheyer, and not since 2015 under Mike Krzyzewski.
"I could not be more disappointed and feeling for our guys, at the same time of just trying to process what happened. I don't have the words. I don't have the words," Scheyer said after Sunday's loss. "I don't have words other than just how proud I am of these guys and how disappointed we are."
While Scheyer didn't shy away from the heartbreak of the loss, he did highlight the positive aspects of the Blue Devils' season, which included a second consecutive season with 35 wins.
"We've lost in two unimaginable ways the last two seasons. At the same time, we've been in back-to-back-to-back Elite Eight's for the first time in 30-something years. We've had really good success in the tournament, but it just hasn't ended with a win the way we want," Scheyer told Graham on April 2.
"The scarier thing would be if we're not close. The thing is, we're knocking on the door. We're right there. And we just got to continue to find ways to win in the margin, regroup with a different team for next year and not quit. ... We're going to stay at it until we are there."
As the Ottawa Senators' 12-year regional broadcast and sponsorship agreement with Bell Media is set to expire at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, the organization announced Thursday night that it has reached a new agreement with the conglomerate.
From the official release:
OTTAWA (April 2, 2026) – The Ottawa Senators and Bell Media announced today a new
long-term rights extension ensuring regional Ottawa Senators games continue to be available
on TSN and RDS. As part of the renewed partnership, TSN Radio 1200 remains the
exclusive English-radio partner of the Ottawa Senators, delivering live coverage of games as
well as insight and analysis on the team. Ottawa Senators regional matchups are available to
viewers located in the team’s designated broadcast region, and stream live through the
network’s digital platforms.
“We are very happy to extend our partnership with Bell Media for our regional broadcast
rights in English and in French,” said Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer. “Our fans
appreciate the passion and professionalism that go into our home broadcasts on TSN, RDS,
and TSN 1200 and we are excited to build on this strong relationship in the years ahead.”
“With ascending young stars across their roster, the Ottawa Senators are a key pillar of TSN
and RDS’s industry-leading hockey coverage, and this new extended agreement represents
the continuation of the successful partnership we’ve built together,” said Shawn Redmond,
Vice President and General Manager, Bell Media Sports. “With this new long-term agreement
in place, TSN and RDS subscribers across the region can enjoy exceptional live coverage of
the team for years to come from our all-star broadcast teams in English and French.”
TSN’s regional Ottawa Senators games continue to be available to viewers in the team’s
designated broadcast region as defined by the NHL, which includes Eastern Ontario,
Québec, and Atlantic Canada on TSN5.
In addition to Ottawa Senators regional broadcasts, TSN also delivers coverage of the
Montreal Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets, and Toronto Maple Leafs. TSN is also the prime
destination for industry-leading NHL news, information, and specials featuring the networks’
all-star team of Hockey Insiders and experts, including TRADECENTRE, FREE AGENT
FRENZY, TSN HOCKEY SEASON PREVIEW, TOP 50 PLAYERS, TSN HOCKEY DRAFT
RANKING, and more.
Under the old agreement, TSN would televise at least 52 regular-season and preseason games regionally, while RDS would carry at least 40 regular-season and exhibition games.
The specifics of the new agreement, including its financial details, were not disclosed.
Interestingly, in contrast to the previous agreement, the announcement makes no mention of any sponsorship considerations. The release, however, primarily emphasizes Bell’s television coverage and properties, while giving little attention to the radio rights, raising concerns about the future of sports radio in Ottawa.
Five years ago, Bell Media abandoned the TSN Radio formats in Hamilton (CKOC), Vancouver (CKST), and Winnipeg as part of a cost-cutting initiative. TSN 1200 has already felt the budgetary tightening this season, as Dean Brown and Gord Wilson, the Senators’ longstanding radio play-by-play and colour commentator, have been benched.
The duo, who have been calling Senators games since the organization’s return to the NHL in 1992, have not travelled on the road this season.
This decision represented the first time in the organization’s history that it would not have any third-party media travelling to cover every road game.
Corey Kluber is no stranger to Cleveland. After José Ramírez, there isn’t a player with fabrics tied more tightly to the city and its baseball team in the 2010’s than the two-time Cy Young winner.
Kluber was always on the cutting edge of pitching mechanics, and what separated him from the rest was fastball and breaking ball diversity. It also helped that everything he threw was flat out nasty. Now back in Cleveland as an advisor and occasional face in the clubhouse, Kluber’s fingerprints are all over the Guardians’ rotation, more specifically through the cutter.
BIG RIG
Gavin Williams is someone who I’ve covered extensively on CtC. I forecasted his breakout last season around the end of May after a rough start forced him to integrate his cutter and prominently feature it in his arsenal. Last season, Gavin’s cutter was essentially a deadened four-seamer. What that means is he kept a similar grip but applied more pressure on his middle finger, killing the arm-side movement on the offering. This was vital to Gavin’s success as his fastball, while playing at a high level at the top of the zone, wasn’t finding the zone enough, and he had no secondary heater to get ahead in counts. Williams led baseball in walk rate in 2025, but the ever growing confidence in the cutter both dropped the walk rate slightly and allowed Gavin to find more success in the zone with his fastball. His heater went from a 15.7% barrel rate across his first two months with a .607 SLG against to 11% barrel rate and .426 SLG against with a +3% growth in whiff rate.
This season, Gavin has taken his cutter up a level, and with the addition of a pretty nasty sinker, his repertoire has filled out nicely. The focus in the Spring was more sinker-driven, but some more pronounced arm-side run from Williams’ cutter was something I found noticeable along with his arm slot dropping from 35 degrees to 32 degrees, though we’ll see if that’s something that sustains. Then he went out and dominated the Dodgers to the tune of 10 strikeouts across 7 masterful innings, and his cutter continued to be a major takeaway. Gavin’s cutter on the season has added an additional inch (2.3 inches to 3.4 inches) of horizontal movement while the rest of its shape remains largely the same. It was dancing a touch more than that against LA while living in the zone at a 75% clip, and Gavin Williams ahead in the count is about as unhittable as any pitcher in the sport. Since the addition of his cutter, Williams posted a .136 average against and 32.1% whiff rate when ahead in the count, a mark identical to Tarik Skubal. Working to get ahead should be the goal of any pitcher, but the more success Gavin has with that in 2026, the more dominant he will continue to look.
BIBEE’S EVOLVING ARSENAL
Last season, Tanner Bibee threw a sweeper. That sweeper was a Stuff+ darling, running marks over 110 across every Stuff+ measurement, but his inability to land it for strikes or generate consistent swing and miss out of the zone led to him not using it thus far in the 2026 season. Bibee’s development in 2026 has been less about his cutter and more about what’s being labeled as a cutter when it shouldn’t be.
Bibee throws a slider now. He threw one last year, but with his arsenal finding an overhaul around September, the noticeable change was more in how much more he was throwing the “cutter” and less about its shape. Now, with Bibee, there’s a distinct shape difference between his cutter “types”, and one is carrying much more like a slider would, and this has essentially cut out his sweeper altogether. Bibee’s attack plan against right-handed hitters has not changed a ton since last season, but with a slider over sweeper, he’s now using it more because he can land it in the zone more confidently without it hanging as much.
This new slider is running a chase rate of 44.4% through two starts with a whiff rate of 36.8%. The key for Bibee, as it always seems to be, is mechanically cleaning up the discrepancy between the offerings. He’s had a few misfires where the velocity and shape indicated slider, but the location read more cutter in intent, and he’s gotten hit hard because of it. Nevertheless, there’s promise here that Bibee can find more success against right-handed batters in 2-strike counts. Those were the bane of his existence last season, but he’s already seeing a better success rate in those counts, and he has his newly found slider to thank for that.
CECCONI & MESSICK EXPAND ARSENALS
The most recent additions to the Cleveland Guardians Cutter Co. are both Slade Cecconi and Parker Messick. Cecconi showcased improved horizontal movement on his sweeper this Spring, and he’s begun to flesh out his cutter into a real weapon. Tossing out his first start this season as Cecconi pitched through an illness, we’ll largely focus on his Spring. Cecconi’s cutter accomplished something he’d been needing which is a strike-throwing pitch along the inner third to lefties that also serves as something up in the zone running away from righties. He now has pitches that he can attack either handedness with at every section of the zone.
As for Parker Messick, the cutter is very new and could be very useful depending on its usage. In his first start against the Dodgers, he only threw four of them, topping out at 90, but they were all to right-handed hitters. He struggled locating it for the most part, but using a cutter to RHH similar to how he tucks sinkers under the hands of LHH would be an ideal evolution of his arsenal.
This is something I look forward to tracking all season. The cutter continues to be the added pitch to arsenals of starters once starters reach the Major Leagues, and Kluber, while seldomly there, deserves as much credit as Carl Willis and Brad Goldberg for this seemingly new revelation to this staff.
Anthony Edwards was ruled out for the Minnesota Timberwolves ahead of their April 2 game against the Detroit Pistons, listed as having an illness and dealing with right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.
As a result, he will be ineligible for NBA postseason awards as he's passed the threshold for possible games missed.
A player becomes ineligible if they miss 18 or more games. Edwards has missed 17 games, but one of the 59 games he did play does not count. That's because the four-time All-Star left a game in October after three minutes due to a hamstring strain; that's viewed as an additional game missed, according to reporter Chris Hine of the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Edwards had just returned from a six-game absence, playing in the Timberwolves' 124-94 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.
He has averaged 29.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in 59 games played this season. His scoring output is third-best in the league, and would have likely landed him on one of the All-NBA teams.
SAN FRANCISCO — Daniel Susac‘s life changed in a ballroom at the Signia by Hilton in Orlando on Dec. 10. But he didn’t realize it at first.
The young catcher was eligible for the Rule 5 Draft and got selected fourth by the Minnesota Twins and then immediately dealt to the Giants. As the dust settled, Andrew Susac, who was 3,000 miles away from that ballroom, saw a Tweet about the trade.
The Rule 5 Draft is a bit of a niche event, and it doesn’t exactly get wall-to-wall coverage. Andrew called his younger brother to ask if he had in fact been traded to the Giants.
“I don’t know,” Daniel responded. “Did I?”
Andrew found himself in a unique position, and he realized he could go straight to the source. Oh, and that source happened to be Buster Posey.
Taken in the second round of the 2011 draft, Andrew reached the big leagues for the Giants three years later and backed up Posey as the now-president of baseball operations led the Giants to a third title. He made 52 appearances for his hometown team in 2015 before bouncing around the big leagues for a few years. The two catchers kept in touch, and when Andrew wanted to bring his family to a game last season, Posey hooked him up with field passes.
Months later, when he saw that Tweet, he knew who to contact.
“I texted Buster and said, ‘Is it true?'” Andrew recalled Thursday night as he leaned against a wall outside the clubhouse at Oracle Park. “He said, ‘Pending medicals.’ I was geeked out, man. I was fired up. (Daniel) has grown up in these tunnels. It’s just cool for him.”
Daniel is the youngest of the three Susac boys, and he was only 13 when the oldest made his debut for the Giants. On Thursday, it was Daniel who got that first start, and he made sure it was a memorable one.
The backup catcher singled on the first pitch he saw in the big leagues and then did it again on the second pitch he saw. He finished with three hits and a walk in a 7-2 win over the New York Mets, becoming the first Giant to reach base four times in his first career start since Kevin Frandsen — another hometown kid — in 2006.
The large Susac contingent soaked up every moment, even going viral when Andrew and Daniel’s young nephew got caught up in one of the celebrations and loudly voiced his displeasure. As family members left their seats late in the game, they were hugged by Oracle Park ushers, some of whom were surely around back when Andrew played. Andrew paused for a few seconds when asked to sum up the whole night.
“It’s elation. It’s unreal,” he told NBC Sports Bay Area. “He’s 11 years younger than me so I just remember me and (our brother Matt) beating up on him and playing wiffle ball and it’s just a full circle moment for us. All the hard work has paid off. All the struggles and everything. It’s just a cool moment.”
Daniel Susac's third hit of the night was too much for some family members to handle 😂 pic.twitter.com/IowsSjcflS
It’s one that the family had to wait a few extra days for. Tony Vitello used the same nine position players over the first six games of the season, even starting Patrick Bailey on Wednesday when the Giants had a day game after a night game. The Susac parents and Daniel’s fiancée traveled to San Diego just in case he got a start, but the only action he saw was as a defensive replacement late in Wednesday’s loss.
The whole traveling party made the drive Thursday. Andrew backed up Posey long enough to know what was coming even before the lineup was officially announced. He saw lefty David Peterson set to start Thursday and figured his younger brother would finally get his shot.
Daniel planned to be aggressive, especially if he got a first-pitch fastball from Peterson. “I’m going to hammer it,” he told himself. Peterson instead threw a curve, but he roped it into right-center.
“I saw it mid-air and was like, ‘uh-oh.’ But I put a good swing on it,” Daniel said.
The history of the game is filled with nights like this, and often, it’s not the start of something long-lasting. The last Giant before Thursday to get hits in his first two at-bats was David Villar in 2022, and four years later, he’s playing in the Mexican League.
But this might be different. Susac was the 19th overall pick in the draft and was a well-regarded prospect before the A’s decided not to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. They felt they had good catching depth and worried that Susac’s .832 OPS in Triple-A last year was heavily inflated by his home ballpark in Las Vegas.
Because he’s a Rule 5 pick, the Giants must keep Susac on the roster all year or else they must offer him back to the A’s. That seemed to give him a leg up on the competition this spring, but Vitello insisted over and over again that he put that out of mind. Susac won the job over veteran Eric Haase fair and square.
Vitello recalled Thursday how Heliot Ramos and Luis Arraez talked Susac up in the spring. The veterans felt he could help this team, and if this is for real, or even somewhat for real, he should see plenty of starts against left-handed pitchers instead of the switch-hitting Bailey.
The Giants could also at some point call up Jesus Rodriguez or Haase and use Susac as a pinch-hitter, something they’re sorely lacking right now. Thursday was a night to wonder what’s coming next.
“Chappy said he made it look easy,” Vitello said of the debut.
In addition to reaching four times, Susac had one of the bigger defensive plays of the night, challenging a close 3-2 pitch in the sixth that flipped a Ryan Walker walk into a strikeout. Walker emphatically pointed back to his catcher after a replay on the scoreboard showed how close it was. Susac said later that the call was what he might tell his grandkids about some day as he recounts his debut.
“I didn’t even think I won it,” he said. “I was like, ‘Eh, it’s close, I don’t really want this runner on base right now so let’s see.’ And then I won it and I was excited. That was awesome.”
There were no hard feelings from home plate umpire Nestor Ceja over that one. He asked Susac in the ninth if he wanted his lineup card and then handed it over after the final pitch. Susac also tucked the ball in his pocket and then handed it to Blade Tidwell, who picked up a three-inning save in his Giants debut. When he got back to the clubhouse, he got Vitello’s lineup card, and that will go to his father.
Daniel Susac collected a memento from the umpire after his first MLB start in the Giants' win 🙌 pic.twitter.com/NvBmNqUU7b
There were three Susac boys in all. Matt, the middle child — and now, the most viral of the bunch — went into commercial real estate. Andrew last played in 2021 and now is back home, raising his family and giving lessons. He’s looking for kids who remind him of his youngest brother.
“He’s always been very gifted, obviously,” Andrew said. “But he’s got that edge. I talk about that a lot. The best players in my opinion have some sort of edge where they have that killer instinct in them. I think he has that.”
Perhaps it’s always been there. Or maybe it’s the result of a couple of years spent in the hallways at Oracle Park, watching his older brother and Posey, and wondering if that would be him one day.
“I definitely always envisioned it as a little kid,” Daniel said. “To actually live it out is pretty awesome. I probably went through this exact scenario so many times in the backyard with my brothers. It was a pretty fun one to get out of the way.”
Alana King and Phoebe Litchfield starred as Australia capped off their dominant tour of the Caribbean with a commanding nine-wicket win in the third ODI at Warner Park in St Kitts.
DETROIT (AP) — Anthony Edwards is ineligible for NBA postseason awards because he can't reach the 65-game minimum after the Minnesota Timberwolves ruled out him out against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night, listing his right knee injury and an illness.
He has played in 59 games, but just 58 count toward the league's record of games and Minnesota has six games left in the regular season.
Edwards did not play in Detroit, one game after he scored 17 points in 23 minutes in a win over Dallas in his first game in two weeks. He returned against the Mavericks after missing six games due to his right knee ailment.
The four-time All-Star, and two-time all-league guard finished seventh in NBA MVP voting in each of the last two seasons.
Edwards is averaging a career high with 29.3 points per game, but won't play 70-plus games as he did in each of his first five seasons in the league.
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — Former Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer has signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League and is scheduled to pitch opening night on April 21 for the minor league team.
The Ducks announced the signing Thursday for Bauer’s 15th professional season. Bauer will wear a mic for all games and practices, helping create content for both his and the team’s outlets.
Bauer has been trying to revive his big-league career after serving a 194-game suspension for violating MLB’s domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. He was never charged with a crime in the matter, and civil claims against him were settled.
Bauer was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers in January 2023. The right-hander pitched in Japan in 2023 and ‘25, sandwiched around one season with Diablos Rojos in the Mexican Baseball League in ’24.
“I’m looking forward to competing in front of U.S. fans again this season,” Bauer said in a statement. “The Ducks have had some incredible players come through their organization, and I’m excited to be part of that tradition.”
Bauer was 4-10 with a 4.41 ERA with Yokohama last year. He was named the Mexican Baseball League’s pitcher of the year in 2024.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MARCH 28: Tobias Harris #12 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket against Julius Randle #30 and Donte DiVincenzo #0 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter at Target Center on March 28, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Pistons defeated the Timberwolves 109-87. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Detroit Pistons will get to face an Anthony Edwards-less version of the Minnesota Timberwolves team tonight at Little Caesars Arena. Edwards was listed as questionable before ultimately being ruled out. The star guard can only miss one additional game before he hits the limit of games missed and ineligibility for postseason honors. Cade Cunningham will also miss tonight, and he needs to play in four of Detroit’s final six games to be eligible for awards. The Detroit Pistons announced earlier Thursday that Cunningham would be re-evaluated in a week as he looks to ramp back into playing shape as he recovers from a collapsed lung. Jaden McDaniels is also out for the Wolves, and Isaiah Stewart remains out for the Pistons, so both lineups will be missing their primary sources of offense and among the best defenders in the game.
The Pistons will, of course, still have Ausar Thompson, who was recently named Defensive Player of the Month in the Eastern Conference again. The Pistons have already won one Cunningham-less game against the Wolves, so why not make it two? In the previous game, Detroit used a balanced scoring attack, led by Tobias Harris, with six players scoring from 10 to 13 points. They also used an elite defense, with everyone on the Minnesota side struggle save for a couple deep threes from Donte DiVincenzo. While they don’t get Edwards back in the lineups, the Wolves will have Ayo Dosunmu, and that could go a long way toward unlocking more of their offense.
Game Vitals
When: 7:00 PM Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan Watch: Prime Video Odds: Pistons -5.5
Mar 2, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks forward Pete Nance (35) in the second half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
The Celtics will once again be without Nikola Vucevic when they face the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Vucevic is continuing to recover from a fractured right ring finger suffered almost four weeks ago (on March 6th), but seems to be progressing in the right direction.
“He’s getting better, as you saw in the workout today,” Joe Mazzulla said on Wednesday night before Celtics-Heat. “The most important thing is that he feels 100%. When he’s ready, he’ll come back, and we just want him back when he’s ready to go. He’s going to help us — we obviously see the impact that he has on us as a player.”
The Celtics have an otherwise clear injury report; Jaylen Brown, who missed two games due to left Achilles tendinopathy, is fresh off a 43-point, 7-assist game vs the Heat and dismissed long-term concerns regarding the injury.
And Jayson Tatum, who made his return to the lineup on March 6th, continues to be available for the Celtics without significant restriction. Tatum has only missed two games since making his return, and is averaging 21.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.
The Bucks, meanwhile, will be without Giannis Antetokounmpo (left knee hyperextension), Kevin Porter Jr (right knee synovitis), and Bobby Portis (left wrist sprain). Thanasis Antetokounmpo is questionable with a left calf strain.
Good sign: Nikola Vucevic is doing some on-court work here at shootaround in Miami
The Celtics are 51-25 and have the East’s second-best record, holding a 2.5 game lead over the New York Knicks. They’ve won 8 of their last 10 games, most recently an 18-point thrashing over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.
The Bucks, meanwhile, have had an undeniably disappointing campaign. They’re 30-46 and officially out of play-in contention. Giannis Antetokounmpo is out for the season. And, they’ve dropped 7 of their last 10 games.
The Celtics are 2-1 against the Bucks this season; they dropped a December 11th game in Milwaukee when Kyle Kuzma exploded for 31 points. They went on to win their next two games against Milwaukee, both by almost 30 points.
Celtics-Bucks tips off at 8pm on Friday night in Milwaukee.
The 2026 Final Four for the men’s NCAA tournament is set. Illinois faces UConn at 5:09 p.m. ET Saturday, April 4, followed by Michigan against Arizona at 7:49 p.m.
Come Monday night, there will be a new national champion. The NCAA also will crown a Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Here’s a look at who has won the award every year of the tournament since 1939.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 16: J.P. Crawford #3 of the Seattle Mariners looks on during the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in game four of the American League Championship Series at T-Mobile Park on October 16, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
J.P. Crawford is our shortstop… again… for now.
The Mariners activated Crawford from the injured list on Thursday. He will join the team in Anaheim as they begin their first road tip of 2026. Crawford missed the first week of the season with right shoulder inflammation, which bugged him throughout Spring Training.
It’s a precarious time for Crawford. The Mariners on Tuesday announced a record-breaking extension for shortstop prospect Colt Emerson. Jerry Dipoto said the team is in “no rush” to debut Emerson in the majors, but as Kate Preusser points out, his talent may be forcing the team’s hand. Emerson is clearly the Mariners’ long-term plan at shortstop, leaving Crawford somewhat in the way.
Crawford, 31, is the longest-tenured Mariner, having arrived in 2019. He’s had an eventful career, first appearing as an all-glove-no-bat shortstop before a swing change in 2023 made him one of the best players in the league. He battled injuries and poor luck in 2024 but turned it around in 2025, although inconsistency at the plate limited his season overall. Crawford in 2025 posted four months with a 115 wRC+ or better, and he posted two months with a wRC+ less than 100. This all worked out to a 113 wRC+, which ranked 10th among qualified shortstops.
The Mariners might be willing to accept that up-and-down performance, but Crawford struggles in every other aspect of the game. His -9 Fielding Run Value last year ranked second worst among shortstops, as part of a years-long slide in the field. He doesn’t have good range anymore, and he doesn’t have the arm strength to make up for it. He also struggles on the bases, as one of the slowest shortstops in the league. When he hits, as he did for two-thirds of 2025, he’s a more than solid option at a premium position. When he slumps, he’s a replacement level player.
And the Mariners now have their replacement. Exactly when and why they’ll make the call on Emerson is unclear, and it’s possible they slot him into the lineup at another position with Crawford still at short. It’s also possible Emerson struggles upon his debut, and I doubt the team would forgo contingency before giving him the full-time job. But the Mariners are in win-now mode, and they aren’t likely to give Crawford 600 plate appearances for the sake of loyalty if he’s struggling. For the first time as a Mariner, Crawford is no longer the future at shortstop, and he’ll have to earn his playing time to stick around.
While he may no longer be the future of the Mariners, it’s worth noting he is still very much the past. Crawford needs just 16 more games to pass Jose Lopez for 10th most games played by a batter in team history. With 610 plate appearances, he’ll pass Raul Ibanez for ninth. With 2.8 WAR, he’ll pass Bret Boone and Mike Cameron for 11th, and with 3.6 WAR he’ll pass Robinson Canó for 10th. Crawford is surely one of the best players in the history of the franchise, and it would nice to see him, at the very least, hang on to be commemorated at the Mariners 50th Season Spectacular in August.
The Mariners in a corresponding move Thursday optioned infielder Ryan Bliss to Tacoma. Bliss got two plate appearances as a pinch hitter on Saturday and struck out in both of them. He spent most of last year on the injured list after tearing his biceps while swinging. Bliss remains interesting org depth and has demonstrated the ability to draw walks and put the ball in play in the minors. He will likely find his way back to the majors at some point this season, although there’s no clear path to playing time around the infield at the moment. He has four in-season options remaining, according to Darren Gossler’s payroll tracker.
Leo Rivas remains on the team as the backup infielder. Rivas has a tremendous eye, or at least a historically low swing rate, allowing him to draw walks and get on base. He’s a passable bench bat, and as a switch hitter, the only Mariners’ infielder capable of standing in the righty batter’s box. This handedness dilemma is another branch in the team’s shortstop log jam, potentially delaying Emerson’s debut and threatening Crawford’s use as a role player.
The Mariners also placed reliever Ryan Loutos on unconditional release waivers. Loutos was designated for assignment Monday, removing him from the Mariners’ 40-man roster. Every team will get a chance to claim Loutos. If he goes unclaimed, he will become a free agent.
TAMPA, FL - DECEMBER 4: Pontus Holmberg #29 of the Tampa Bay Lightning against Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins at Benchmark International Arena on December 4, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Cardinals shortstop shared a photo of the wreck on his Instagram story Thursday, showing the mangled front bumper on his black sedan as first responders worked on the scene.
“For everyone wondering… I’m feeling great!” Wynn’s caption read. “Car is a little banged up but nothing that can’t be replaced! Big thanks to our security team and first responders for taking care of me! See yall on the field soon!”
St. Louis Cardinals players surround Masyn Winn after he notched the game-winning hit during the eleventh inning of against the New York Mets. AP
The Gold Glove winner was taken to a hospital for an evaluation after the crash, but did not sustain any serious injuries and was released shortly thereafter.
“We are grateful that he is OK, and thank the first responders in our community who helped Masyn tonight,” the Cardinals said in a statement.
A photo of Winn’s car after the crash. Instagram/masynwinn
Facing Mets reliever Tobias Myers, Winn blooped a hit to right that fell in front of a diving Carson Benge, giving St. Louis its fourth win of the season.
Diablos Rojos' Trevor Bauer pitches against New York Yankees during an exhibition game March 24, 2024, at Alfredo Harp Helu Stadium in Mexico City. (Fernando Llano / Associated Press)
Former Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer will pitch for a U.S. team for the first time since 2021 when he serves as the opening day starter for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League later this month.
Since his last MLB start, on June 28, 2021, Bauer has been accused of sexual assault by four women. He denies all the allegations and has never been charged with a crime.
After Bauer served a 194-game suspension for violating the league's sexual assault and domestic violence policy, the Dodgers severed ties with the 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner on Jan. 6, 2023, less than two years after signing him to a three-year, $102-million contract.
"We are excited to welcome Trevor to Long Island,” Michael Pfaff, Ducks president and chief business officer, said in a Thursday news release announcing Bauer's signing. “His talent and knowledge will be important additions to our ballclub, and we are happy to offer him this opportunity to showcase his talents to MLB clubs while giving fans unprecedented access to Ducks baseball.”
According to the release, "Bauer will be 'Mic’d Up' for all games and practices for the purposes of content creation to be featured on his and the team’s social media and streaming outlets."
The Ducks did not immediately respond to further questions from The Times regarding Bauer's signing.
Bauer is expected to start when the team opens the season at home April 21 against the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars.
“I’m looking forward to competing in front of U.S. fans again this season,” Bauer said in a statement released by his new team. “The Ducks have had some incredible players come through their organization, and I’m excited to be part of that tradition.”
